Improvement in seeding-machines



B. F. FIELD.

Grain-Drill.

Patented Sept. 2e, 1865,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE@ B. F. FIELD, OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WISCONSIN,ASSIGNOR T0 HIMSELF AND E. T. BOND, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHINES.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,201, dated September26, 1865.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, B. F. FIELD, of Sheboygan Falls, county ofSheboygan, and State of` Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvementsin Machines for Planting Corn, Beans, Cotton, and other like Seeds, andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription. thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure lis a perspective view ot' my machine. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the seed-hopper and dropping mechanism. elevation ofmy runner for opening the furrow, and roller for closing the same afterthe seed has been dropped, showing their attachments and adjustments.

The nature of my invention consists, iirst, in a novel manner ot'feeding and regulating the iiow of the seed; and, secondly, in a novelmanner ot' constructing and arranging the furrow-opener, whereby it maybe readily adjusted to cut lightly or deeply, and also to cover lightlyor heavily, as `may be desired.

That others may understand the construe tion and operation of mymachine, I will more particularly describe it.

The frame, wheels, Ste., of my machine are constructed in any suitablemanner. Upon each of the rear corners I mount the seed box or hopper A.Within the rear portion ot' this box is the feed. wheel or roller B,provided with a suitable number of cells around its periphery,

as is common.

The rollers B may be constructed in any of the ordinary ways, so thatthe capacity of the cells may be regulated in accordance with the kindor quantity of grain to be planted. Just in front ot' the seed-r0ller Bis the gate C,which has a vertical movement in suitable gains cut in thesides of the seed-hopper. Back ot the gate C is an inclined partition,to which is attached a spring, D, the lower end ot' which rests upon theupper surface of the rollerB at a point in rear ofthe axis of saidroller.

The rollers B in the seed-hoppers are both connected and revolved by asingle shaft, E, lying across the rear of the machine, to which motionis imparted by one of the main bearing-wheels of the machine through themedium ofa belt and pulleys F F. The pulley F is not rigidly attached tothe shaft E, but is loose thereon, and is caused to revolve when Fig. 3is a sidev the machine moves forward by the ratchet and paw] G and G',which allows the pulley G to revolve without affecting the shaft, whenthe machine moves backward. As the seed-rollers revolve the seed istaken up according to the capacity of the cells, and, being carriedover, falls out ofthe cells into the tubes H H, and is thereby conductedto furrow-opener I below. This latter consists of a divided runnerconstructed in any suitable way. 1t is, as common, sharp in front todivide the earth, and the divided end flaring behind for the purpose ofopening a furrow into which the seed may fall. To its upper side andfront end is attached the bent arm J, by which the runner is attached tothe dragbar of the machine; and to the rear ot' the ruimer' istheconcaveedged roller K, hung in the stirrup L, so that it may beadjusted to press lightly or heavily upon the ground, and thereforecover the seed lightly or heavily. The tunnels M receive the grain fromthe tubes F, and conduct it through the runners to the furrows.

In going to and from the field it is desirable that the runners shouldbe raised from the ground in order to avoid the danger of being brokenby obstructions in the road. This is accomplished in the usual way bymeans of the windlass N, which is revolved by the crank and cords orchains O 0,-and held in any position by the stop P. This stop is a rodwith a bent or hooked end, as shown. The other or lower end is securedto a spring-bar beneath the floor ot' the machine, and is carried out ofits place and away from the crank by placing the foot upon the pin 19,which presses the said spring-bar down, and carries the stopP down withit.

The rear end ofthe drag-bar is slit, so as to receive the end of the armJ; or the arm may be double and receive the end of the dragbar betweenthe two parts. I, however, prefer the former plan. In this way, it w1llbe perceived, I secure space for two pins orbolts ot' attachment, and bymaking the forward end of the arm J with a downward crook or elbow, orwith a T-shaped head, I can have several holes through which to put saidbolts or pins, and can thereby secure a ready means ot adjustment, aswill be evident by the red lines in Fig 3. This adjustment is necessaryin order to make the heel of the furrow-opener cut into the ground asdeep as may sometimes be required; or the adjustment may be regulated soas to depress the point or cuttingedge,'and cause that to ont into theground to divide the furrow deeply.4 After the seed is dropped theroller K replaces thc loose earth and presses it closely upon the buriedseed, and the amount of pressure so applied may be regulated by removingthe pin R and replacing it in a higher or lower hole, as it may bedesired to diminish or increase the pressure.

The operation of the furrow opening and covening devices is apparent.Their only peculiarity consists in the adjustments spoken of, theadvantages of which will be apparent, and need no further setting forth.

The operation of the seed-hopper and feeding device is as follows: Theseed is placed in the hopper and in direct contact with the feedrollerB. It' the machine was always to be used on level ground there would notbe any necessity for adj nstable devices to regulate the tlow of theseed, as a permanent partition sufticient to prevent a flow of seed overthe roller would then be sufficient; but level fields are not plentiful,and it is desirable at all times to allow as much seed to be in contactwith the wheel B as possible. If, then, the ground is moderately uneventhe slide U is so placed that in going up hill the seed will not bepermitted to flow over the top of the wheel B.

lt is not contemplated to change the elevation of the slide everytiine'the machine encounters an elevation or depression on the sur-Vface of the field, but only to set it once for the neld or a certainpart thereof. It sometimes happens, however, that the field to beplanted is so uneven that the slide C will not operate satisfactorilywithout constant attention. In such cases the spring D is added, which,pressing upon the feedwheel in the manner shown and heretoforedescribed, will evidently prevent any overflow of seed, while if akernel chances to be so caught that it must pass out or be crushed thespring will yield sufficiently to let it pass unharmed. The foregoingdescription supposes the grain to be planted in drills, and theoperation ofthe machine entirely automatic. 1t is,however, sometimesdesirable to plant in hills which are check-rowed, and to do this it isnecessary that the dropping mechanism should be operated by hand, as anautomatic dropper cannot be made to operate with the requisiteirregularity. I therefore, when desiring to plant by check-rows, removethe beltwhich communicates motion from the main wheel to the pulley F,and cause the 'shaft E to be revolved bythe hand of a person sittingupon the seat S. This he does by grasping the handles s and turning theshaft at the proper moment.

It may be said that the distance through which the corn must drop afterbeing released from the seed-cell will render the dropping liable to beirregular; but this objection will be evidently groundless when it issuggested that it is no more difficult to drop the corn two or threeseconds before reaching the proper hill or check-row, than to drop `itat the instant of passin g said row. In either case the operator isguided by his eye, assisted by some marking device which can be set toindicate a short distance before the row sufficient to correspond withthe forward motion of the machine and period of time occupied bythefalling grain.

The peculiar form of the seed-cells shouldhavebeenreferredtobefore,butwasoverlooked. It consists in excavatingthem diagonally, as shown at U, Fig. 2. This renders them. deeper onwhat is the front edge when the cell is above the axis of the feed-wheelthan on the rear. The effect of this form is, the cell fills morereadily with seed, and when the proper moment arrives it is dischargedin a body, and not stragglingly, a kernel at a time, as would be thecase if the cell were of equal depth on all sides.

It will also be observed that by shifting the drag-bars nearer to orfarther from each other the Width of the rows may be varied at pleasure.If it is desirable that the rows should be so near together that theseed boxes or hoppers in their present position will not feed the seedinto the funnels ofthe runners, the seedrollers may be shifted to theinner sides ofthe side pieces of the frauie and the seed-boxestransposed, the left-hand one put on the righthand side ofthe machine,and a difference ot' sonle tenor twelve inches will be made, which,added to the variation which may be obtained by setting the tubes H inan oblique position,

will amount to as much latitude as will ever be required.

Having described my machine and its operation, what l claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Adjusting the runners I so as to press upon the heel or point, asdesired, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. The stirrup L, for the purpose of attaching andA adjusting thecovering-roller K, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the seed-roller B, the slide C, for the purposeof preventing an overflow of seed, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the seed-roller B, the spring D, for the purposeof preventing an overflow of seed, substantially as set forth.

5. The oblique seed-cells U U, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

B. F. FIELD.

, Witnesses:

R. D. O. SMITH, AUGs. J ORDAN.

